Patents
In today's world intellectual property rights
in general, and patents in particular, are becoming increasingly
important to the future success of a business.
Our Service
Our patents team has substantial
industry-focused expertise across a wide-range of industry sectors
including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, high tech,
telecommunications engineering and consumer goods, to assist you in
identifying, capturing, protecting and exploiting your innovations.
The services we provide include:
- enforcing patents in and out of court
- challenges to third-party patents and utility
models including nullity actions, cancellation proceedings and
opposition proceedings
- patent validity, infringement clearance
searches and freedom to operate opinions
- developing and implementing international patent
litigation strategies
- patent entitlement cases
- cases on employee’s remuneration for patented
inventions
- portfolio evaluations and due diligence
- mediation and arbitration proceedings
- all types of technology transfer agreements,
including manufacturing, research and development agreements
Our Experience
We have patent litigators in various
jurisdictions who have been highly ranked for many years. They have
a long term experience in very complex multinational patent
litigation cases and have been involved in some cases through which
new law was written.
Our patent litigators have also been involved
in major patent and license disputes in international arbitration
and mediation. The disputes they handle vary across all technical
fields and industry sectors but include major multinational
litigation on pharmaceuticals, biotech and high tech patents. We
have pleaded cases across all forums, and right up to the European
Court of Justice, as well as in national Patent Offices, the
European Patent Office, the German Civil Courts, including the
Federal Supreme Court as well as the Federal Patent Court.
We have experienced patent litigators across
all our European offices who are skilled not just in handling
disputes (whether relatively straight forward or extremely complex)
on a national basis, but who commonly work together on matters
which are multi-jurisdictional providing a seamless level of
quality of client service. We also have close relationships with
patent litigation law firms in other countries. Whether working
with these law firms, or those law firms with whom you have
existing relationships, we can provide a multi-jurisdictional
patent litigation management service.
We have conducted major studies to assess the
patent infringement risk of marketing new products. In our studies,
we place particular emphasis on helping our clients get their
products safely to market. If such investigations are carried out
early in the process of designing a new product or process, we may
also be able to assist our clients in ensuring that the final
design of their product or process avoids any identified
infringement risks. We advise our clients to update such opinions
regularly in view of the further development of patents and patent
applications as well as of the product design.
We have extensive experience in the drafting,
negotiation and practical implementation of commercial patent
agreements of many types in many areas of this world, in a wide
range of technologies and markets. Through our technical, legal and
commercial skills, we can assist in identifying fresh opportunities
and new structures for deals and IP-based relationships.
We advise on the patent aspects of corporate
transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, financing and
disposals. In particular, we provide assessments of the protection
given by patents, enforceability and relevance to the business
objectives. Our involvement in due diligence activities has proved
valuable both for potential investors and for those seeking
finance. We also advise and draft other forms of IP agreements, for
example revenue-share agreements, assignment documentation,
commissioned research agreements and joint venture agreements.
We are often called upon to monitor the
activities of our clients’ main competitors through the use of
patent information. Our clients’ competitors often are reliant on
patents, so monitoring of their activities can provide valuable
information and enable our clients to take proactive actions.
Back to main Munich office page